Yamaha factory tour report (It was Awesome)!

[jethrof16]

Hey guys, just got home from touring the Yamaha boat factory in Vonore, TN. This is not something they normally do but since I had a 242X on order they allowed me and my family in to see the operation from start to finish. Unfortunately I was not allowed to take any pictures until the end of the tour where we posed in front of a "mostly" finished 242X ready for it's lake test (man that stereo rocks).

Anyway, overall impression is that everyone there is super excited about the product that they produce and they have one of the lowest employee turnover rates in manufacturing. They put a lot of effort into making it a good place to work which results in happy employees who are good at what they do. That said, robots spray the gelcoat into the mold and then the fiberglas layer is put down with "chop" guns that spray fiberglas, resin, & catalyst down at the same time. This mixture is rolled and smoothed by hand to ensure no bubbles. There is a great deal of effort put in to ensuring that each hull will last a lifetime. After this step the hull is mated to a deck, and closed cell foam is sprayed between the 2 to ensure your boat will never sink (even if filled with water). This is where the next robots take over and in 15 minutes they drill over 300 holes & cutouts. Next all the hardware and wiring gets installed in the 2 remaining halves of the boat before they are mated in final assembly. GREAT care is taken to ensure each engine/jet pump combination are precisely mounted to ensure a no vibration assembly. They actually test mount each and remove before final installation. Really wish I could have taken pictures of the whole process...way cool. Finally watching the two halves of a 242 come together was almost magical. Didn't get to do a test run but we were on a 242X cranking the stereo just before it went out the door.

Final thoughts
Winterization: I think most guys emphasize winterization too much with these boats. The two plan foremen both have these boats and said ALL they do to winterize is rev the engines for 2-3 seconds and put Stabil in the gas. That said, they said to always follow the owners manual (go figure). As a matter of fact most boats are made during the winter months and are run in freezing cold water and then stored on a lot with nothing more than a short rev when they get out of the water.

SurfPointe: So what's the deal with SurfPointe? All they do to certify a boat with SurfPointe is to adjust the linkage to each jet slightly to make the nozzles converge. They won't say what that angle is but it wouldn't be too hard to do on your own with a little trial and error. In short any of the twin setups can achieve this without spending a dime.

Engines: All engines are built in Japan and fully assembled before shipment to the US. They are mounted in the boats and wiring harness connected...wala.

BIG SURPRISE SOON: When we asked about all the new construction around the plant they said that something very exciting would be revealed in the next 24 months. They couldn't say what it was but there is a lot of construction activity and a great deal of space being created.

If I think of any other interesting details I'll update this post. If you have any questions fire away.

 

[robert843]

Hey guys, just got home from touring the Yamaha boat factory in Vonore, TN. This is not something they normally do but since I had a 242X on order they allowed me and my family in to see the operation from start to finish. Unfortunately I was not allowed to take any pictures until the end of the tour where we posed in front of a "mostly" finished 242X ready for it's lake test (man that stereo rocks).

Anyway, overall impression is that everyone there is super excited about the product that they produce and they have one of the lowest employee turnover rates in manufacturing. They put a lot of effort into making it a good place to work which results in happy employees who are good at what they do. That said, robots spray the gelcoat into the mold and then the fiberglas layer is put down with "chop" guns that spray fiberglas, resin, & catalyst down at the same time. This mixture is rolled and smoothed by hand to ensure no bubbles. There is a great deal of effort put in to ensuring that each hull will last a lifetime. After this step the hull is mated to a deck, and closed cell foam is sprayed between the 2 to ensure your boat will never sink (even if filled with water). This is where the next robots take over and in 15 minutes they drill over 300 holes & cutouts. Next all the hardware and wiring gets installed in the 2 remaining halves of the boat before they are mated in final assembly. GREAT care is taken to ensure each engine/jet pump combination are precisely mounted to ensure a no vibration assembly. They actually test mount each and remove before final installation. Really wish I could have taken pictures of the whole process...way cool. Finally watching the two halves of a 242 come together was almost magical. Didn't get to do a test run but we were on a 242X cranking the stereo just before it went out the door.

Final thoughts
Winterization: I think most guys emphasize winterization too much with these boats. The two plan foremen both have these boats and said ALL they do to winterize is rev the engines for 2-3 seconds and put Stabil in the gas. That said, they said to always follow the owners manual (go figure). As a matter of fact most boats are made during the winter months and are run in freezing cold water and then stored on a lot with nothing more than a short rev when they get out of the water.

SurfPointe: So what's the deal with SurfPointe? All they do to certify a boat with SurfPointe is to adjust the linkage to each jet slightly to make the nozzles converge. They won't say what that angle is but it wouldn't be too hard to do on your own with a little trial and error. In short any of the twin setups can achieve this without spending a dime.

Engines: All engines are built in Japan and fully assembled before shipment to the US. They are mounted in the boats and wiring harness connected...wala.

BIG SURPRISE SOON: When we asked about all the new construction around the plant they said that something very exciting would be revealed in the next 24 months. They couldn't say what it was but there is a lot of construction activity and a great deal of space being created. View attachment 69552

If I think of any other interesting details I'll update this post. If you have any questions fire away.

A source has told me that one of the Yamaha engineers told them to expect a larger model then the 24ft boats to come out in the next two years but we will have to wait and see. This was from a reliable source the engineer only mentioned a 25 ft model specifically but hinted to possibly more.

 

[CraigAR]

A source has told me that one of the Yamaha engineers told them to expect a larger model then the 24ft boats to come out in the next two years but we will have to wait and see. This was from a reliable source the engineer only mentioned a 25 ft model specifically but hinted to possibly more.

This is why I'm keeping my 2017 ar240 in perfect condition, if they come out with a 26-27' Yamaha I'm trading up fast.

 

[Gym]

Hope it's a 28 foot cruiser.

 

[swatski]

They won't say what that angle is but it wouldn't be too hard to do on your own with a little trial and error. In short any of the twin setups can achieve this without spending a dime.

It is 7 degrees, I'm told - so yes, for SurfPoint DIY.

--

 

[Betik]

Hey @swatski I was wondering if your boat boat and @ThatJeepGuy boatsmight be knock offs!!!! Sure as well they could not have come from the same place

 

[swatski]

Hey @swatski Sure as well they could not have come from the same place

They sure did.
Yamaha has very strong engineering and the boats are mechanically pretty sound. Seems like they were run by real enthusiasts - before the crash of 2008-09. Did you ever see the famous video of them testing the AR230s in high seas? That was something.

Where they lack is the fit and finish.

--

 

[jethrof16]

This is why I'm keeping my 2017 ar240 in perfect condition, if they come out with a 26-27' Yamaha I'm trading up fast.

That’s what the production foreman told me, “keep this one in great condition & be ready to upgrade”

 

[Betik]

They sure did.
Did you ever see the famous video of them testing the AR230s in high seas? That was something.
--

I saw on youtube the full video. The mini version of it I saw it last July with my own eyes.

 

[swatski]

That’s what the production foreman told me, “keep this one in great condition & be ready to upgrade”

I am very curious. But not holding my breath.

Upgrade to... what?

In my case, I have put a lot of effort in fixing all the factory shortcomings, upgrading parts etc, still - I would be totally interested in an upgrade. But - to what?

24' is just about perfect size for a family open bow. A 26'+ would require three (3) engines/pumps - according to guys I talk to - to match the performance of my 24' twin. They might do with two SVHOs, but barely, and in either case - that means trailering and fuel consumption sacrifices I'm not willing to make.

I could be wrong! I hope I'm wrong!

--

 

[Sbrown]

Maybe they'll be building a twin Yamaha jet powered airplane to compete with Lear.

 

[Betik]

I could be wrong! I hope I'm wrong!
--

Don't we all hope you are wrong!!! but you know that they say..... hope= statistical ignorance

 

[Brandon_SC]

Great post! @jethrof16

 

[bronze_10]

A 47 foot cabin cruiser with both giant diesel engines pushing jet drives for slow cruising and if u want to go fast then fire up the onboard jet turbine to plane out at 60 mph! Ft Lauderdale to bimini in one hour with 4 foot seas!

 

[haknslash]

Lol a 26' Yamaha would cost over 100k and still have all the shortcomings we've been accustomed to. For a jet boat that is well beyond crazy pricing . It wouldn't sell well IMO and someone would just buy a Sea Ray Sundancer or other cruiser instead.

 

[Julian]

A 26'+ would require three (3) engines/pumps - according to guys I talk to - to match the performance of my 24' twin. They might do with two SVHOs, but barely, and in either case - that means trailering and fuel consumption sacrifices I'm not willing to make.

I see no reason why they couldn't put in twin 250's or 300's mated to a larger pump and do just fine. Also, people buying 26'+ boats would likely be fine with a 45mph top speed vs 50.

When I talked to Yamaha last, they were openly talking about the fact that they were expanding their plant in Venore big time, but were very tight lipped about what they were going to be building there.

 

[haknslash]

What is the market for a 26' boat? It's usually people who boat on large massive lakes or ocean use. One of the lakes I boat on you're limited to a maximum 24' X 8.5' beam boat unless you're in a pontoon. Just seems like a very niche market for a jet boat to try and get into. Looking at how Yamaha continues to creep into prop boat pricing while not offering the same level of luxury, fit and finish just seems like a crazy gamble for Yamaha to invest in expansion. I would say the AR240 likely outsells the 242X more times than not and that's likely due to price for what you get per foot of boat. The 242X is sold and marketed as a water sports and surf boat yet it doesn't compete with a surf or wake boat in any way and it's is sold in the same price range. Doesn't make sense to me to spend six+ figures on a jet boat cruiser that would have limited range, less fuel efficiency, less creature comforts and appointments than a cruiser prop boat. The only advantage I see would be easier towing being lighter and of course maintenance.

 

[weaselman]

Take it for what its worth but a Yamaha dealer at the boat show I went to said they already have a 24 FSH and they were going to roll it out with the 21ft but decided to wait. Wouldn't surprise me to see a 24ft FSH when they roll out the 2019s

 

[jethrof16]

Take it for what its worth but a Yamaha dealer at the boat show I went to said they already have a 24 FSH and they were going to roll it out with the 21ft but decided to wait. Wouldn't surprise me to see a 24ft FSH when they roll out the 2019s

That sounds like it would be a no brainer for them. I think they dipped their toes in the water and since it is selling well they will upsize it.

 

[robert843]

I won't be surprised if you actually see some Yamaha branded outboard boats produced either like the have in other markets I think that would be logical. I agree with many of the other comments I think you are limited to about 26 ft in a twin engine jet boat but I also agree with @Julian when you start getting into the 26-27 range especially in a bow rider category I don't think most people will care that the top speed would only be in the 40's as that's kind of where the market is on that product anyway. If they made a 25-26 ft boat with another 6 inch higher free board and 100 gallon tank I would upgrade instead of looking at some of the other things I'm looking at at least if they kept with the NA engines I don't have a desire to move to the supercharged ones and would take the speed sacrifice as I usually cruise in the mid to high 30's any way .